With the losing streak in the rear view mirror, the Sixers (16-58) return home tonight to host the Charlotte Bobcats (38-36) in what will be one of their three final home games of the season. The Sixers snapped their 26-game losing streak at home against the Pistons last Saturday and look to finish the season on their home floor on a good note. After tonight, Philadelphia plays five of their last seven games on the road.
After blowing out Detroit on their home court, the Sixers traveled to Atlanta to face a team that was in a slump of their own, looking to hold on the to final playoff spot in the east. The first half looked good for Philadelphia, who stormed out of the gate. They led 31-18 after one and managed to maintain a ten-point lead at halftime. Unfortunately, the Hawks regrouped, outscoring the Sixers 60-42 in the second half. The Sixers lost, 103-95. Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with 23 points. James Anderson contributed 19 while MCW tallied 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats find themselves seventh in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games ahead of the eighth place Hawks. Charlotte is coming off of a 100-94 victory over the Wizards, a game which saw them come back from an 11-point deficit in the final quarter. Kemba Walker finished with 21 points and 10 assists while Al Jefferson had 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Bobcats bench was one of the strong points in their comeback as Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 18 on 7-for-9 from the floor while rookie Cody Zeller scored 15 points on 4-for-4 shooting. He was also 7-for-8 from the line.
Game Notes:
- Sixers & Bobcats have split two prior meetings this season, with Charlotte winning 105-88 in December. The Sixers took the January meeting, 95-92.
- Thaddeus Young enters tonight's game second in the NBA in steals.
- Michael Carter-Williams averaged 8.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists in his last 10 games.
- Al Jefferson and Gerald Henderson are both shooting 52 percent over the last 10 games
- Charlotte has lost its last six games in Philadelphia and is 3-14 at the Wells Fargo Center
Starting Lineups:
Sixers Lineup:
PG Michael Carter-Williams
SG James Anderson
SF Hollis Thompson
PF Thaddeus Young
C Henry Sims
Bobcats Lineup:
PG Kemba Walker
SG Gerald Henderson
SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF Josh McRoberts
C Al Jefferson
Injuries:
Sixers: Nerlens Noel and Jason Richardson remain out as they recover from their respective knee injuries. Byron Mullens is questionable with an ankle injury.
Bobcats: Brendan Haywood (foot) and Jeff Taylor (ankle) are both out.
Prediction:
I fully expect the Sixers to keep up with the Bobcats, but I believe they will fall in this one by a score of 98-89.
Brandon Apter is a writer for Sixerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ApterShock
